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PODCAST

The Absurd

Welcome friends to The Absurd. A podcast about things absurd. News, histories, mysteries, and strange goings-on. Our stories are freaky, funny, and sometimes frightening. So sit back, get comfy, and get ready for The Absurd.

society & culture

All Episodes

51:31

The Soap-Maker of Correggio, Russian Dolls, Million...

The Absurd ·

2025/09/24

We’ll start off this episode with a trip back to 1939 Italy and meet a woman who believed that the only way to prevent one of her few surviving children was through human sacrifice. She also did a little baking. Then Mel will take us to Russia where we’ll learn about a man’s utterly horrific efforts to not be alone. The ick factor is big in this one. Rod will then lighten things up with a woman who found her Walmart gift cards to be insufficient, so she tried using a fake million dollar bill. Lastly

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46:05

Chainsmoking Baby, Surgical Sex, World’s Luckiest...

The Absurd ·

2025/09/17

Mel will start us off with a trip to Sumatra where we will meet a boy who was a chainsmoker at the age of two, smoking as many as 40 cigarettes a day. Next we’ll learn about a doctor who left in the middle of an operation to have sex with a nurse. His explanation is … annoying. Then we’ll learn about the life of Frane Selak, a Croatian man who has survived an incredible series of serious accidents. Lastly, Rod will take us to Germany to learn about an incredibly strange incident of Nicky nicky nine

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47:09

Algonquin Remains, Plaster Caster, Argentinian...

The Absurd ·

2025/09/10

We’ve got a story from right here in southern Ontario where human remains found 45 years ago in Algonquin Park have finally been identified. Next, Mel will tell us about a woman who made and collected plaster casts of rock star’s penises. Rod will then bring us a terrifying and mysterious incident that happened to a police officer in Argentina. Lastly, we’ll go to China and meet a woman who lost both her legs at the age of four. With a very novel adaptation invented by her grandpa, she was able to

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59:49

Turkish Basket Job, Radioactive Rhinos, A Mother’s...

The Absurd ·

2025/09/03

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and transportation can certainly be considered a necessity. But this method of doing so in Turkey sure sounds like a pain in the back. We hate animal poachers and we especially hate people who buy parts of endangered animals for stupid reasons. Now, there is a new approach to help protect animals from poachers. Mel will tell us about a truly harrowing incident in which a mother had to rescue her children from their burning home. She paid a terrible

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58:29

Best Rub Around, Bat To The Mouth, Tanning Death Bed...

The Absurd ·

2025/08/27

Ever have a chest or head cold? We all have. And many of us have used the good old Vick’s rub to relieve those hideous symptoms. But how did it come about? Next, we’ll meet a woman who paid a high price when a bat flew into her mouth. Mel will then tell us about a man who left this world in a very weird way. But at least he had a great tan. Lastly, we’ll meet a 10 year old girl whose quick recognition helped save hundreds of people from the terrifying 2004 tsunami.

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53:22

Ant Wars, DIY C-Section, I Scream You Scream We All...

The Absurd ·

2025/08/20

There are an estimated 20 quadrillion ants on earth, and they are very warlike. One species is very nearly taking over the planet by wiping out all other species of ants. We’re both glad that we’re not ants. Then, Mel will take us to Mexico to learn about Ines Ramirez, a woman with no medical experience, successfully performed the first and only documented self C-section. Who the heck doesn’t love ice cream. Everyone has a favourite flavour. There’s a new flavour hitting the shelves; breast milk

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43:20

Italian Mummies, Encephalitis Lethargica, Sleepless...

The Absurd ·

2025/08/13

Mel will start us off this week with a trip to Italy where we will learn of a bizarre bit of history. The mummies of Venzone are a collection of mummies discovered in Venzone, Italy, in the 16th century. Although similar mummies may be found elsewhere, the reason for the Venzone mummies’ preservation is still unknown. They were mummified by natural processes. Next, Rod will tell us about a bizarre plague that swept the world in the early 20th century which left people with a myriad of symptoms. Some

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50:18

Ornamental Hermits, 50 Years On A Bike, Boozey Apes &...

The Absurd ·

2025/08/06

We start with a listener submitted story about the root of garden gnomes. Real people who were paid to live on the premises of the wealthy, remain unwashed and unshorn for years to play the role of a resident hermit. Next we’ll learn about a German man who at the age of 22 began a quest to visit every country on earth on his bicycle. Then Rod will tell us about the reason we as humans are able to metabolize alcohol, and our ancestors who gave us the gene. Ever thought of owning a hippo as a pet? Mel

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49:33

Wild Rites of Passage, Fire Ant Free Fallin’, Where...

The Absurd ·

2025/07/30

We’re going to start this episode with looking at some strange and even scary rites of passage practiced around the world. Next, Mel will tell us about a woman whose parachute failed and she fell 4,000 metres and landed on a colony of fire ants. But hold on, there’s more. Then Rod will look at a news story in which a man died in his hotel room while travelling with the supposedly possessed Annabelle doll. Then Mel will bring it on home with a harrowing tale about a group of boys who were marooned on

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57:01

Ed Gein, 18 Years At The Airport, On All Four Legs,...

The Absurd ·

2025/07/23

Ed Gein was a serial killer whose crimes inspired the films Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs. Need we say more? Next we’ll meet an Iranian man who lived at the airport in Paris for 18 years! Then we’ll meet Myrtle Corbin who was born with four legs and two pelvises but sure didn’t let that stop her from having an interesting life. Ever been caught in a traffic jam? Miserable experience. Now imagine being stuck in a traffic jam that lasted 12 days!

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41:48

A Hand On His Leg, DIY Botox, Island Of Dolls &...

The Absurd ·

2025/07/16

In a notable medical case, doctors in China temporarily grafted a man's severed hand to his leg to preserve it while his arm injury was treated. The man, Xiao Wei, lost his hand in a work accident and doctors grafted it to his ankle to maintain blood supply. Next, we’ll learn about another absurd Tiktok thingy wherein people are doing their own botox injections at home. As you should be aware, it’s a very bad idea. The Island of the Dolls south of the centre of Mexico City is notable for the

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52:17

Bonus Ep 8 - Gwada-Negative, Cultural Sleep, Load Of...

The Absurd ·

2025/07/11

Medical scientists in France have found a woman with a brand new blood type. Even more interesting, she is the only person in the world with that specific blood type. We all need to sleep, and many of us love to sleep. But did you know that there are different approaches to sleeping among the world’s cultures? Next we’ll learn about the carnivorous New World Screwworm Fly, whose young (maggots) pose a serious threat to livestock, pets, and even humans. To combat these scary little buggers, the US is

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48:05

He Blowed Up Good, Baby Tossing, Battle Of The Joshs...

The Absurd ·

2025/07/09

We’re going to start off with a trip down to New Zealand where a man had a very unpleasant experience with some compressed air. We honestly didn’t know something like this was even possible. Next, Mel takes us to India where we learn about the terrifying ritual of baby tossing. Then we’ll visit an event in which people named Josh fought over the right to retain the name. Lastly, we’re going back to 2012 when 11-year-old Liam Corcoran ran away from home, snuck into Manchester Airport, boarded a

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58:02

Butterbox Babies, Halifax Explosion, One Carrot Ring...

The Absurd ·

2025/07/02

Welcome to our Canada Day episode in which all the stories are Canadian in origin. To start, Mel will tell us a truly shocking and awful story about a maternity home that operated in Halifax from the 1920’s to the 1940’s. This is not a happy story, folks. Next, while remaining in Halifax, Rod will tell us about the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic bomb, when in 1917, two ships exploded in the harbour and destroyed much of the city. To cheer things up, we’ll next learn about an Alberta

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42:54

School Bus of Terror, The Shame Flute, Richest Dog in...

The Absurd ·

2025/06/25

To start off, Rod will take us back to 1976 when three men abducted a school bus full of children, and buried them alive inside a bunker along with water and food in hopes of securing ransom money. Yikes! Next, Mel will tell us about the practice of punishing people for playing bad music by means of the “shame flute”. Not gonna lie. Could still be used today. Then we’ll meet Gunther VI, a German Shepherd, with an estimated net worth of over $400 million. His wealth is attributed to an inheritance

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48:43

Xerxes The Dumb, Battle Of The Bulge, Drunkard’s...

The Absurd ·

2025/06/18

Mel will take us back to olden times where we’ll meet Xerxes the Great, a Persian ruler. While trying to get his invasion force across the Bosporus strait (between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, things went very wrong. So, he decided to take out his anger on the sea. Yup. Then Rod will tell us a very strange yet somewhat hilarious story about a man whose female boss told him he must stop wearing his pants to work because his bulge was too much of a distraction. Next, we’ll learn how people who

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44:02

The Book That Kills, Murder Shrooms, Up Yours! &...

The Absurd ·

2025/06/11

We start off this episode with a new segment known as Darwinianisms. Following that, Rod will tell us about a deadly book. One that has literally caused the death of several people since it’s release in the late 19th century. Mel will then take us Down Under for a bizarre murder case involving some not to tasty mushrooms. We will then learn of a judge’s ruling in Quebec which states our constitutional right to give someone the finger. Then we’ll learn about a man in Alaska who became trapped under a

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50:47

Party Like It’s 1694, Hedviga Golik, Flight...

The Absurd ·

2025/06/04

Mel is going to start us off with a little history trip to look at the largest, most drunken parties in British history. People these days have nothing on the past. Then Rod will take us to 1960’s Zagreb to look at a bizarre case involving a missing woman. They looked everywhere except the most obvious place. Then we’ll take a flight where a male flight attendant was found dancing naked in a business class bathroom. We’ve all heard some baby names that made us shake our heads in dismay. But did you

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49:46

Cold Turkiye, Wandering Womb, The Evaporated & We...

The Absurd ·

2025/05/28

We’re off to Turkey where a young mother visiting from England with her family died. Definitely sad, but what’s really infuriating and ridiculous is the seeming incompetence and negligence of the medical staff, police, and local government. Next, Mel will tell us about the origins of the words hysteria/hysterical and the utterly absurd and disturbing treatments that were utilized to counter this so-called malady. Rod will then take us to Japan to learn about the “johatsu”; the evaporated. People who

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38:13

Bonus Ep 7: 1st Anniversary Listener Q&A

The Absurd ·

2025/05/23

We answer listener-submitted questions about the show, about us, and about food.

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